


Loss Doesn't Fit in his World

by Siver



Category: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-21 15:15:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11360064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siver/pseuds/Siver
Summary: Cabanela wakes in the hospital after Jowd and Lynne have chased after the manipulator. Alternate timeline





	Loss Doesn't Fit in his World

Cabanela woke slowly, far more slowly than what he was used to. Part of him wanted to sink back into the warm dark, until his memories surfaced. Despite the dull ache starting to make itself known throughout his body he couldn’t help but smile.

An ending at last. Jowd was back in his proper place. It stung not being able to dance on to the end and finish it together. However, with Jowd on the case it was as good as done now that he finally had that thick head of his back on straight.

He dragged his eyes open and blinked a few times to wipe away the blur and fuzz. The hospital room didn’t look much better with clearer vision.

“Finally awake, are you?”

He turned his head. “Professor, looook at you playin’ the nurse.” He hoped he kept the twinge of disappointment out of his voice. He was happy to see him, of course he was. Just not quiiite the man he was hoping to see right now.

Of course there would be lots to take care of: making Jowd’s innocence official, a daughter to reunite with, a home to clean up and return to, and conversations to have when he did finally show his face. And, for all he knew he hadn’t been out for long at all. Maybe they weren’t even back yet.

“What’s the good neeews, prof?”

A pause that went just a little too long.

“They haven’t come back,” the professor finally said in a careful neutral tone. “There’s been no word.”

So, his second hypothesis. Quick to awaken: that was him.

“Aside from a few brief spots I doubt you remember, you’ve been out for a while,” the professor continued.

Perhaps not that either then, but that didn’t really mean much, did it?

“Just takin’ a bit longer than expected,” Cabanela said slowly. They had no clear idea of just what they were getting into after all, let alone where. It wasn’t so surprising.

He felt sleep pulling at him once more. He tried to ignore the professor’s expression that was grim even for him. He would sleep - there seemed to be little choice there - and when he wakes up it will be resolved. As if any other way wasn’t utter nonsense.

When he awoke again the professor was still at his side paging through a book. He looked up at Cabanela’s stirring.

Before Cabanela could gather the words from his still scattered thoughts into the one question burning on his mind, the professor shook his head, his mouth a thin line.

A hard knot formed in his stomach. A thought stabbed him with a pain worse than any broken bone. What if he was wrong? It seemed laughable, yet there should have been something by now. If not a return then some form of communication.

“Not yet,” he managed through instincts that screamed otherwise. They’d never failed him before. Doubt had no place in his vocabulary. There was a first time for everything.

“Not yet,” he repeated as if the repetition of denial could turn the world back to the way it was supposed to be. He turned away from the slight softening in the professor’s expression that seemed as close to sympathy as he got.

Jowd, Lynne, gods Kamila. They couldn’t all be gone. Jowd didn’t fail his cases and never with so much at stake.

He stared at the ceiling, a blank expanse of white that offered no answers. White… Spotless, pristine, meaningless now.  

He blinked away the pricking in his eyes and swallowed past the lump in his throat. It wasn’t over. He tracked him down once. He will do it again.

And, maybe… just maybe they were still out there.


End file.
